The top flight of German soccer, the Bundesliga, has produced and nurtured numerous top players over the years. Some have stayed and built their legacy in Germany, while others have moved abroad, earning their clubs significant transfer fees.
Today, we will take a look at some of the biggest players who moved out of Germany for eye-popping fees. As per Transfermarkt, here are the 10 most expensive sales in Bundesliga history:
#10 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — $67.57 Million
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was too hot to handle during his fruitful four-and-a-half-year stay at Borussia Dortmund. The Gabonese striker played 213 games for Dortmund, scoring an impressive 141 times and claiming 36 assists. Thoroughly impressed with his work at Dortmund, Arsenal signed him for a $67.57 million fee in the summer of 2018.
Before seeing his contract terminated by mutual consent in January 2022, Aubameyang played 163 matches for Arsenal, scoring 92 times and claiming 21 assists.
#9 Christian Pulisic — $67.78 Million
Christian Pulisic, who currently plies his trade at AC Milan, joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for a handsome $67.78 million fee in January 2019. He, however, did not start playing for the west Londoners until July 2019, spending the first six months of his Chelsea career on loan at Dortmund.
Pulisic showed glimpses of his true self at Stamford Bridge, but never got around to fulflling his potential. Before leaving permanently for Milan earlier this summer, Pulisic played 145 games for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 26 times. He won one UEFA Champions League trophy, one UEFA Super Cup, and one DFB Pokal in London.
#8 Dominik Szoboszlai — $74.14 Million
Liverpool signed Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for a $74.14 million fee in July 2023. The central midfielder has been impressive for the Reds so far, scoring once in seven games across competitions.
Szoboszlai spent two and a half years at Leipzig prior to his transfer to Liverpool. He played 91 times for Leipzig during his stay, scoring 20 times and providing 22 assists.
#7 Kevin De Bruyne — $80.49 Million
Easily the most successful player on this list, Kevin De Bruyne joined Manchester City from VfL Wolfsburg for a staggering $80.49 million fee in the summer of 2015. Since the transfer, De Bruyne has emerged as one of the best players in the business, scoring 96 times and claiming 153 assists in 358 matches in all competitions. His heroics have so far helped City to five Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy amongst other honors.
Before making it big in England, De Bruyne spent one-and-a-half years at Wolfsburg, picking defenses apart for fun. The Belgian played 73 games for them across tournaments, scoring 20 times and providing 37 assists.
#6 Kai Havertz — $84.73 Million
A product of Bayer Leverkusen’s Youth Team, Kai Havertz was officially promoted to the senior team in July 2016. The attacking midfielder dazzled fans with his excellent runs, awarness of space, and ability to create something extraordinary out of the mundane. The German scored 46 goals and claimed 31 assists in 150 games for Leverkusen before joining Chelsea for a $84.73 million fee in the summer of 2020.
Havertz, who joined Arsenal in the summer, spent the next three seasons of his career at Chelsea, scoring 32 times and provding 15 assists in 139 matches in all competitions. He most notably scored the winner in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City.
#5 Jadon Sancho — $90.03 Million
Jadon Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City U18s in August 2017. Over the next four years, he emerged as one of the most entertaining players in the Bundesliga, scoring excellent goals, creating chances, and taking defenders out on a spin. At Dortmund, Sancho played 137 matches, scoring 50 goals and claiming 64 assists.
In the summer of 2021, Manchester United spent a whopping $90.03 million to sign Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. Unfortunately, the move has not worked out for either party. Sancho, who is currently suspended following a fallout with coach Erik ten Hag, has played 82 games for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring just 12 times.
#4 Josko Gvardiol — $95.32 Million
Last season’s treble winners Manchester City secured the services of one of the best young defenders in the business, signing Josko Gvardiol for a $95.32 million fee from RB Leipzig. The Croatia international, who turned heads at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has become a regular under Pep Guardiola, appearing in six matches already in all competitions.
Gvardiol, 21, was at Leipzig for a couple of years before moving to England. Having joined the Bundesliga outfit from Dinamo Zagreb for a $38.98 million fee in the summer of 2021, Gvardiol played 87 games for them across competitions, scoring five times. He won two DFB Pokals during his stay in Germany.
#3 Randal Kolo Muani — $100.55 Million
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) splurged a whopping $100.55 million to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer transfer window. Frankfurt had never booked a $100 milion+ sale prior to Kolo Muani’s transfer. The Frenchman has settled in nicely at PSG, scoring once and claiming two assists in three matches across competitions.
Kolo Muani, 24, spent just over a season at Frankfurt after joining them as a free agent on July 2022. He played 50 games for them in all competitions, netting 26 times and claiming 17 assists.
#2 Jude Bellingham — $109.09 Million
One of the best young soccer players in the world, Jude Bellingham was announced as the newest Real Madrid recruit on July 1. The Englishman joined Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund, with Madrid paying the German club a whopping $109.09 million for Bellingham’s services.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed an explosive start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has emerged as his team’s best player this season, scoring six times and claiming an assist in seven matches across competitions. Prior to his switch to Spain, Bellingham spent three excellent years at Dortmund, scoring 24 times and providing 25 assists in 132 games across competitions.
#1 Ousmane Dembele – $142.98 Million
Borussia Dortmund signed promising French teenager Ousmane Dembele from Stade Rennais for a $37.07 million fee in July 2016. Dembele performed admirably for Dortmund over the 2016-17 season, scoring 10 times and recording 22 assists in 49 appearances across competitions. He also played in the 2017-18 German Supercup but forced his way to Barcelona shortly after.
The Blaugrana signed Dembele for a massive $142.98 million in what has been their biggest transfer in history. Unfortunately, Dembele’s transfer did not pan out the way everyone expected. He struggled to keep himself fit and often lacked quality when 100%, leading to a lackluster six-year stay in the Catalonian capital. Prior to his switch to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2023, Dembele played just 185 games for Barca in all competitions, scoring 40 times and providing 45 assists.
